Brinlee just turned 17 months and is rapidly changing. She's getting to my all time favorite little kids age. The age where everyday is something new and radically different. Her personality is shining and she's wearing her cool sun shades because I'm pretty sure she is impressive to herself! The girl is going to be trouble. Who am I kidding? She already is trouble. You can scold and yell until you're about to erupt and it doesn't faze her in the slightest. She likes to pull the DVDs from the rack and some she will study, but most get tossed over her head and onto the ground. I was being firm and direct when I told her to stop pulling them down and get picking the up, but she didn't even flinch or stop staring at the DVD cover. You would've sworn she was deaf. I finally had it and asked her if she wanted to go to time out and without looking up, she shook her head no. So she really does understand me! The little stinker! She's at that age where because she doesn't say much, you tend to wonder how much she really understands, but clearly she knows more than I give her credit for and plays the game well.
I get my exercise by chasing after her. She gets into everything! And I mean EVERYTHING! I am convinced that she has the disorder known as Pica most commonly seen in pregnancy. It's a disorder where people eat things that are considered inedible. No lie, she eats the tips off of markers and will chew up and swallow as many crayons as she can get away with. She literally poops out the rainbow sometimes!
She babbles a lot, but actual words are limited. She is still very stubborn about calling me mom and looks straight at me when I come home from work and says "Hi Dad!" The more I tell her to say mom, the more she calls me dad. She says bye, eyes, here, and welcome, but the rest of her communication is "jeh, jeh, buche" whatever that means.
She is following in her sisters footsteps and when being scolded with the words "No" will drop to the ground, arch her back, and try with all her might to squeeze out tears after she makes sure you are watching. She of course makes sure to be on a soft surface and gets even more frustrated if she wants to throw down on concrete.
She is obsessed with toothbrushes and does not discriminate on which of the many in the bathroom drawer she uses. This is not such a bad thing since my step-mom is a Dental Hygienist, but I guess spreading all those mouth germs isn't very hygienic! And this may be a sign of her future as a Dental Hygienist. Ok that's a bit far fetched, but it sounds like a good plan right?
She enjoys using a fork, but also still loves her bedtime bottle. It's like she is Miss Independent and a big girl for some things, but others will be diverted to her baby ways.
It's a toss up of who, between her or Mason, is more of a cuddler. She starts smacking her lips before reaching you which is absolutely adorable.
Just like the other 2, she loves music and can keep up her dance moves with them both. One of her favorites to dance to is Katy Perry's "E.T." song.
We will be starting her in swimming next Monday which I am excited about. I love having one on one time and this is a great opportunity for us since it's a parent-toddler class. She is shy, but willing to show off!
Lilah is finally potty trained with the exclusion of the night!!!!!!!! I am so proud! She really turned the corner on April Fools Day of all days. I'm not surprised that she would pick that day. Her personality wants to keep you on your toes and it seems as though the minute you really want to get excited about an advancement from her, she will put you back in your place and remind you that it's on her terms. Thus, I think she picks that day because she knew we wouldn't really believe that her days of diapers was coming to an end and she likes to surprise us. When we are surprised, I think we tend to be more genuine as to not exaggerate something that we anticipate. We didn't get too overjoyed at first, thinking the underwear days wouldn't last, but she proved us wrong, which I am so happy that she did! She is so funny and still occasionally tells me she has a surprise for me and then leans forward on the toilet to show and tell me my surprise is poop! Awesome!
Along with her growing up to a "big girl" she has also grown in inches. Dave and I are sure that this happened overnight!
Mason is still growing like the weeds on a rainy day. He is only 4 1/2 years old and over 46 inches. I guess I am waiting for him to average out like Dave and I. His clothes continue to have little wear and tear due to the fact that he outgrows them so fast.
He's still a major love bug and throws his entire body on you when giving hugs. He likes to wink, point, and click his tongue when he likes your idea. He often talks about things from "back in the day" or "when I was little."
He apologizing often making it hard to put him in time out when he really does need it.
He is obsessed with video games which he doesn't get to play often, but he will talk like they are the only think he eats and breathes. He wants every single toy on tv and it frustrates me because he has an overabundance of toys and doesn't play with them. I really am thinking that I need to simplify Birthday and Christmas gifts because I go overboard and they can't even focus because they are so overwhelmed. I am hoping that doing so will make him treasure and enjoy more toys.
I may have already mentioned it, but his teacher, who has taught for over 20 years, says he's the nicest kid. He is sensitive though which creates some drama filled moments. He hates going to bed. He is a night owl like his mother and prefers to push his bed time to the limits. He will cry and insist we let him sleep on the couch. After 20 minutes of "pushing" him to bed, he actually calmly lays down and we do our nighttime routine of reading a book, saying prayers, hugs and kisses, and our saying, which was passed on from my dad, "goodnight, love you, sleep good." It's amazing how even though he fights the structure of going to bed in his room, he still deep down relies on the structure in the end.
He will be starting swimming again this coming week. He's such a friendly kid that he gets distracted easily and chats with the other kids during the lessons, but I think that since he is now in preschool, the structure may have influenced his listening skills or at least I hope!
With work and family balance, life can be so exhausting. If the kids are being defiant, it can be hard not to throw in the towel and let them run wild. Scolding and yelling take less energy than getting out of my seat to put them in time out, right? Well, I have come to the conclusion that yelling really doesn't work for my kids. Don't think that stops me from yelling though! But, I realized that time out is the most effective way to really change the bad behavior. And, even though there are times that I can barely lift a finger cause I'm so tired, putting them in time out, in the long run, will help decrease the amount of time that is spent yelling over and over like a broken record. We all need time outs even as adults and so it only makes sense that it is most likely going to be the most effective and beneficial way to decrease the negative behavior.
I enjoy all of their talented, entertaining, and funny moments. It's hard to believe that there will be a time when our home will be quiet and empty. I pray that I am parenting to the best of my ability to make them the best that they can be.
